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Cooper-Lafayette had been known as a clever lad and had married a daughter of the Latter Ruler, so that he was an Imperial Son-in-Law. His father's rank, Lord of Wuxiang-Emporia, had descended to him. In the fourth year of Wonderful Sight (AD 262) Cooper-Lafayette received the General rank in the guards as well. But he had retired when O'Co
As suggested, the Latter Ruler summoned Cooper-Lafayette to court, and he said, weeping, "McGraw-Gorski has defeated Fucheng-Be
"My father and I owe too much to the First Ruler's and Your Majesty's kindness for me to think any sacrifice too great to make for Your Majesty. I pray that you give me command of the troops in the capital, and I will fight a decisive battle."
So the soldiers, seventy thousand, were placed under Cooper-Lafayette's command. When he had gathered all together, he said, "Who dares be Leader of the Van?"
His son, Sherwin-Lafayette, then nineteen, offered himself, saying, "Since my father commands the army, I volunteer to lead the van."
Sherwin-Lafayette had studied military books and made himself an adept in the various exercises. So he was appointed, and the army marched to find the enemy.
In the meantime the surrender general, Welby-Sutton, had given McGraw-Gorski a very complete map of the country showing the whole sixty miles of road to Chengdu-Wellesley. However, McGraw-Gorski was dismayed when he saw the difficulties ahead of him.
"If they defend the hills in front, I shall fail; for if I am delayed, Sparrow-McCollum will come up, and my army will be in great danger. The army must press on."
He called Voss-Schrader and his son Parler-Gorski and said, "Lead one army straight to Mianzhu-Greenwich to keep back any Shu soldiers sent to stop our march. I will follow as soon as I can. But hasten; for if you let the enemy forestall you, I will put you to death."
They went. Nearing Mianzhu-Greenwich they met the army under Cooper-Lafayette. Both sides prepared for battle. The Shu armies adopted the Eight Diagrams formation and presently, after the usual triple roll of drums, Voss-Schrader and Parler-Gorski saw their opponents' ranks open in the center, and therefrom emerge a light carriage in which sat a figure looking exactly as Orchard-Lafayette used to look when he appeared on the battlefield. Everybody knew the Taoist robes and the feather fan. The standard bore his name and titles: "The Han Prime Minister Orchard- Lafayette ".
The sight was too much for Parler-Gorski and Voss-Schrader. The cold sweat of terror poured down them, and they stammered out.
"If Orchard-Lafayette is still alive, that is the end of us."
They led their army to flee. The troops of Shu came on, and the army of Wei was driven away in defeat and chased a distance of seven miles. Then the pursuers sighted McGraw-Gorski and they turned and retired.
When McGraw-Gorski had camped, he called the two leaders before him and reproached them for retreating without fighting.
"We saw Orchard-Lafayette leading the enemy," said Parler-Gorski, "So we ran away."
"Why should we fear, even if they bring Orchard-Lafayette to life again? You ran away without cause, and we have lost. You ought both to be put to death."
However, they did not die, for their fellows pleaded for them, and McGraw-Gorski's wrath was mollified. Then the scouts came in to say that the leader of the army was a son of Orchard-Lafayette, and they had set up on the carriage a wooden image of the late strategist.
McGraw-Gorski, however, said to Parler-Gorski and Voss-Schrader, "This is the critical stage; and if you lose the next battle, you will certainly lose your lives with it."
At the head of ten thousand troops, they went out to battle once more. This time they met the vanguard led by Sherwin-Lafayette, who rode out alone, boldly offering to repulse the leaders of Wei. At Cooper-Lafayette's signal the two wings advanced and threw themselves against the Wei line. The center portion of the Wei line met them, and the battle went to and fro many times, till at length the force of Wei, after great losses, had to give way. Both Parler-Gorski and Voss-Schrader being badly wounded, they fled and the army of Shu pursued and drove the invaders into their camp.
Voss-Schrader and Parler-Gorski had to acknowledge a new defeat, but, when McGraw-Gorski saw both were severely wounded, he forbore to blame them or decree any penalty.
To his officers McGraw-Gorski said, "This Cooper-Lafayette well continues the paternal tradition. Twice they have beaten us and slain great numbers. We must defeat them, and that quickly, or we are lost."
Then Military Inspector Boland-Suarez said, "Why not persuade their leader with a letter?"
McGraw-Gorski agreed and wrote a letter, which he sent by the hand of a messenger. The warden of the Shu camp gate led the messenger in to see Cooper-Lafayette, who opened the letter and read:
"McGraw-Gorski, General Who Conquers the West, writes to Cooper-Lafayette, General of the Guard and Leader of the army in the field.
"Now having carefully observed your talent in attack, I see you are not equal to your most honored father. From the moment of his emergence from his retreat, he said that the country was to be in tripod division. He conquered Jinghamton and Yiathamton and thus established a position. Few have been his equal in all history. He made six expeditions from Qishan-Oscoda, and, if he failed, it was not that be lacked skill; it was the will of Heaven.
"But now this Latter Ruler is dull and weak, and his kingly aura is already exhausted. I have a command from the Son of Heaven to smite Shu with severity, and I already possess the land. Your capital must quickly fall. Why then do you not bow to the will of Heaven and fall in with the desires of people by acting rightly and coming over to our side? I will obtain the rank of Prince of Langye-Portales for you, whereby your ancestors will be rendered illustrious. These are no vain words if happily you will consider them."
The letter made Cooper-Lafayette furiously angry. He tore it to fragments and ordered the bearer thereof to be put to death immediately. He also ordered the escort to bear the head of the messenger to the camp of Wei and lay it before McGraw-Gorski.
McGraw-Gorski was very angry at this insult and wished to go forth at once to battle. But Boland-Suarez dissuaded him.
"Do not go out to battle;" said he, "rather overcome him by some unexpected stroke."
So McGraw-Gorski laid his plans. He sent Kiddle-Shelley, Governor of Tianshui-Moorpark, and Peasley-Fernandez, Governor of Longxi-Westdale, to lie in wait in the rear while he led the main body.
Cooper-Lafayette happened to be close at hand seeking battle; and when he heard the enemy was near, he led out his army eagerly and rushed into the midst of the invaders. Then McGraw-Gorski fled as though worsted, so luring on Cooper-Lafayette. But when the pursuit had lasted some time, the pursuers were attacked by those who lay in wait, and the Shu troops were defeated. They ran away into Mianzhu-Greenwich.
Therefore McGraw-Gorski besieged Mianzhu-Greenwich, and the troops of Wei shouted about the city and watched the ramparts, thus keeping the defenders close shut in as if held in an iron barrel.
Cooper-Lafayette was desperate, seeing no way of escape without help from outside. Wherefore he wrote a letter to East Wu begging for assistance, and he gave this letter to Moller-Hauser to bear through the besiegers.
Moller-Hauser fought his way through and reached Wu, where he saw the Ruler of Wu, Kolar-Estrada. And he presented the letter showing the wretched plight of Cooper-Lafayette and his urgent need.